Diocese of Redridge
The Diocese of Redridge is the religious body that encompasses the geographical area of Redridge Mountains. The diocese serves to educate those under their care in the ways of the light and provide relief and aid to the territory as the citizenry need it. The diocese currently seeks a residing Ordinary for its Chapter of the Silver Hand. Applicants should contact Bishop Atzelder < Atzelder >. Temple Law Fire Spirits Those of adherents who reside in the diocese shall not imbibe spirits while engaged in study or practice within the Diocese of Redridge or any other place considered sacred by the church of the holy light. When not engaged in study or practice adherents of the order shall be allowed to consume within reason and in an orderly manner a small amount of spirit if the occasions be social and in private settings. Discipline shall be rendered on occasions that find adherents of the order publicly intoxicated. They shall not be limited to but will include restriction to diocese Grounds, Penance and Manual Tasks. Prostitution , Gambling , The Agents of Darkness Those of the order shall not render the services of those who sell sinful favors for trade. Those within neighboring towns whose cries are heard in the woods shall not be engaged unless doing so in an effort to rescue them from the temptation of un-pious lust. Neither shall an adherent be found wagering monetary or material goods on the odds set forth by those who broker uncertainty. Neither shall those of the order purchase, trade or take from the denizens lurking in darkness the poisons that with ill intent are produced to guarantee fatal attacks. Freedom from Duress Adherents of the diocese shall not allow themselves to be swayed in their judgements by those who would seek to alter their path by way of physical, mental or material compensation or attack. All decisions made by those of the order are expected to be of their own free and unhindered will. As the light would have it. Intimacy and Display Members of the diocese are guided away from extensive displays of affection unless these are done in the ways of those of the high courts of society. They are not forbidden from the company of loved ones after said company has been blessed and is garnered in a fashion that does not betray their oaths to the light. Members and their chosen significance are expected to understand that their relationship is between themselves and the light. With the later taking precedence. Un-Blessed Conflict No member of the diocese shall engage in unscheduled conflicts against those of the alliance or its people in public or private settings that have not previously been blessed by those people of the light. Events in which monastic brethren practice their art to improve it are considered blessed by default. Sparring, practice and fighting shall never result in death against one of the order, neighboring companies or innocent bystander. If such is the case it will be reviewed and discipline may be decided upon. Deceit , Coercion , The Righteous Path No adherent shall ever be found in a position that they may be guilty of coercing, lying to or forcing others along a path. Those of the order walk a righteous path in which they must afford those they come across the same rights and figures allowed to them by the light. They must do so in honest and forthcoming manners. Dress Code The Well Kept No adherents armor whether ceremonial or mundane shall be allowed to remain in a state of disrepair and disarray. It shall not be found to be dirtied or broken for any period of rest. Neither shall the adherent enter battle or sanctuary in any land in such states. They shall at all times keep with them a simple brown robe that they might change into should they need to enter the sanctuary and find their attire in disrepair. They shall be bodily groomed and maintain their appearances. The Modest The Modest adherent shall not dress outside or inside any sanctuary or sacred place in a manner that displays their personal assets. Nudity or midriff shall never be exposed in any circumstance other than those required by personal, intimate ceremony or private residence. Excessive ornamentation is not allowed to be added to any habit given to an adherent for the sake of worship and study. Hair is allowed to be loose from the head and kept long by both genders. Adherents are encouraged to cover their heads in public during their times of infancy in the faith. Armour of the Combatant Adherent Under no circumstance shall an adherent of the order find themselves ill prepared for battle or conflict. Upon their expression of want to enter battle and or be trained for it the quartermaster shall give to them a set of armor fit for combat. Should this armor ever be broken or rendered less than its original state, the armor shall be returned to the quartermaster for cleaning. Formal Events and Alliance Wide Gatherings All members of the order shall arrive in habit and tabard to all formal events, ceremonies , services and community wide gatherings. Respect for the Past The order acknowledges that before the brother or sister adheres to the order they will have had pasts. With them they might carry some possessions and armor of sentimental value. The diocese does not require them to shed their belongings immediately upon entry into the sanctuary. The Abbess does require them to dress respectfully of traditions at all times able. Paths of Piety The Applicant’s Expectations [ Referred to as Candidate ] During the time that an adherent is applying and considering / observing the order in order to determine if they are a good fit and or would be happy with the path before them; they are held to few rules. The applicant must daily pray and reflect upon their path in order to have clear thought and hear what the light has to tell them. They must upon themselves take the burden of finding out information on the path and conduct independent study. The applicant is required to be bound by the rules of modesty. They are encouraged to seek out those of the clergy to understand themselves better. Questions are encouraged. The applicant is encouraged to begin studying the ways of artifact restoration, retrieval and aid the order in these activities. They will be given more responsibility in these endeavors when they have taken vows. The Supplicant’s Expectations ''Referred to as Novice , Squire , Neophyte When the applicant has determined they would indeed be inclined to set out upon the path of piety and lighthood the applicant will become a supplicant through blessing and solemn private ceremony. In this stage of adherency the supplicant will begin wearing the brown habit and hood. They are required to wear the habit at all times while inside areas of sanctuary and sacred sites. They are required during meetings and gatherings to continue to be in the brown habit. The Supplicant is allowed to, during times of private socializing to dress out of habit. They are allowed to dress out of habit while visiting neighboring alliance cities, but are required to be in habit while in sanctuaries or other sacred sites in these cities. [ I.E. In habit in the cathedral district in Stormwind or the Cathedral in tyr’s hand. ] The supplicant is required to engage in further study of the light with their brothers, sisters and superiors. They are given formal duties regarding the copying of holy texts and are required to produce a tome of their own making by end of supplicancy. [ You will be required to read, copy and give your own notes on parts of the scriptures in the codexes supported by the church of the holy light. ] This not only aids in your piety but also encourages you to reproduce and illuminate the words of the light and those that came before you. They will be actively assigned duties and brought along on efforts to secure, restore or reproduce holy artifacts and or artifacts of history that are deemed to be noteworthy. [ The things we want to keep track of. ] Silver Hand Education A supplicant of the paladin class who wishes to be anointed as a knight must have completed all of the following. Respect , Compassion, Tenacity Squire should be able to name the general points of all three virtues on command. They should have basic understanding of each. What they mean and How they apply to the interactions the squire has. Honor , Valor and Courage The Squire will have completed this section when they further understand the higher points of Tenacity as it applies in specific instances. The Knight will be watching to see if the squire applies these specifics without being prompted. The application is not a requirement for passing this part, but it should at least be in the works. Courtesy, Etiquette , Obedience The Squire will have completed this section when they further understand the higher points of Respect as it applies in specific instances. The Knight will be watching to see if the squire applies these specifics without being prompted. The application is not a requirement for passing this part, but it should at least be in the works. Charity , Teaching , Service The Squire will have completed this section when they further understand the higher points of Compassion as it applies in specific instances. The Knight will be watching to see if the squire applies these specifics without being prompted. The application is not a requirement for passing this part, but it should at least be in the works. Martial Skill , Armor Creation , The Paladin’s Artifacts The Squire would have been expected to start or show some signs of martial ability before this point. The Martial Skill comes with time, but the basics must be learned with sword or hammer and shield before moving on from this section. The Squire will also be taught basics of crafting armor and have an opportunity to create a set of pauldrons. These are expected to be crude, but will be a direct reflection of the squires own ability to craft. The squire will also be taught the importance of the paladin’s personal artifacts and those important to the order. The History of the Silver Hand , The History of the Church The Squire must be able to recite or explain from paper the history of the silver hand and the history of the church before passing this section. The education of which will be had from seminary training, personal training with the squires knight and interactions with other clerical personnel. Real World Experience Challenges of Honor, Valor, Courage and Tenacity The squire will pass this section when the Knight they serve under has verified through “ real world “ and not bookish observations of their abilities to conduct themselves with the values and virtues they learned about in Section 1. This includes but is not limited to, Guard Duty, Lessons, Every day off-duty experience etc. Challenges of Courtesy, Etiquette, Obedience and Respect The squire will pass this section when the Knight they serve under has verified through “ real world “ and not bookish observations of their abilities to conduct themselves with the values and virtues they learned about in Section 1. This includes but is not limited to, Interactions with Superiors, Interactions with the public, Dealing with civil matters, obeying orders and following through with tasks assigned. Challenges of Charity , Teaching, Service and Compassion The squire will pass this section when the Knight they serve under has verified through “ real world “ and not bookish observations of their abilities to conduct themselves with the values and virtues they learned about in Section 1. This includes but is not limited to, Charitable Acts, Participating verbally and frequently in Seminary lessons, how kind they are with putting aside their own personal needs for those of others, and acts of service to the crown, the church and the order. Putting it all together – The Trial of Being Human The Trials of the Virtues Accessible only after the Knight is certain the squire has successfully triumphed over all challenges. Likely after the knight seeks council with other knights and the clerical leaders to verify that performance and duties have been commanded in the proper manners ] The First Two Trials are tailored specifically to the squire in question. There are no specific scenarios to list. The Trial of Respect This trial will cement the belief that the squire understands, has practiced and can show others the meaning of the Virtue of Respect. The Trial of Tenacity This trial will cement the belief that the squire understands, has practiced and can show others the meaning of the Virtue of Tenacity. The Trial of Compassion This Trial is of the squires own design. The squire must plan and host an event of the compassionate and charitable nature. The knight must be present to give witness. This trial is intended to involve the Knight, The Squire, The Public and the Order in which they serve. By completing this trial successfully the Squire will have demonstrated that they are capable of hosting events, have given something back to the community and understand what needs to happen in order to do so. The Trial of Martial Ability The Squire will participate in a Sparring Match with any order member that chooses to present themselves at the occasion. This trial may include Player vs Player Combat, Roll Combat and Emote Combat. Each bout will last five minutes. The squire does not need to win every bout in order to successfully complete the trial. This trial will make sure that the squire has the courage to face foes and friends no matter their ability. Strength, Finesse and perfection happen over a life time. The Trial of Memory [ History of the Hand and Church ] The Knight will seek if able the council and audience of the Bishop of the Chapter. During this meeting the Squire will be presented and if able, the Bishop will verify and ask of the squire questions pertaining to the education the squire has received. The squire must be able to vocalize [ via text ] the history of the Silver Hand and the History of the Church of the Holy Light. This makes doubly sure that the squire is able to pass on this information to his or her own squires once knighted. Putting it all together - The Crafting of the Paladin’s Weapon The Knight will lead the squire on a pilgrimage during which they will seek ores and metals stored. These metals will be blessed and the squire will [ alongside the knight ] forge his or her own hammer or sword. This will be used during the knighting ceremony if space allows. By putting forth the effort the squire will be personally vested in their own weapon and there will be a connection to it. Once the squire completes all of the following requirements they will be anointed in the traditional fashion as a knight of the silver hand. They will take all oaths accordingly. Non Traditional Paths The Diocese Acknowledges that there are those who adhere to the faith of the holy light that are not traditional. Those who are not of the paladin or priest class are not stoned in place and forbidden from advancement. Non Traditional adherents are still required to meet certain goals before being promoted to the rank of Adherent. * Completed Three Restorations / Retrievals of artifacts. * Completed the Journal requirements of the Priesthood. * Completed the Trials of Respect, Tenacity and Compassion. * Completed the Trial of Memory / History. * Taken Pilgrimage to Three Holy Sites. * Shown ability to engage with the light. * Shown want to encourage the efforts of the Diocese in others and to teach those of the faith what the light would have them know. They will have shown a want to continue their studies past anointment. Upon completion of these requirements the Adherent to be will be annointed as such in a public ceremony in which they will be given the blessings of the Priesthood, The Paladinhood and all other Adherents to come before them. Further Study and Devotion The Order of the Gilded Pestel - Monastic - Male Only - Open to the light’s faithful, not only priests or paladins. [ Post Nominal added to Rank - G.P. // I.E. Father Thomas Smith C.G.P. ] The Order of the Blazoned Heart - Monastic - Female Only - Open to The Light’s Faithful , not only Priests or Paladins [ Post Nominal added to the Rank - B.H. // I.E. Adherent Valeera Smith C.B.H. ] Asset Credits *Heraldric crest assets credited towards http://heraldicart.org/ and submitted as a registerable SCA device. Category:Diocese Category:Church of the Holy Light Category:Redridge Mountains Locations